Incomplete NH 203 Worries State Government.

With Nabakalebara festival less than a year away, the State Government has decided to expedite completion of infrastructure projects by December, 2014.

As different projects are implemented in view of the event with an outlay of Rs. 1000 crore, the Government is worried over delay in completion of the fourlaning of Bhubaneswar- Puri National Highway 203. The project is yet to be completed even though more than three years have passed since its launch.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who reviewed the progress of the project recently, directed the officials of Works Department to complete it by March, 2015.

Out of four by-passes in the 67-km road, 11.2-km Bhubaneswar by-pass, 7.5- km Pipili by-pass and 4.1- km Chandanpur by-pass have been completed. The 10.7-km Puri by-pass will be completed by March next year.

The four-lane railway over-bridge at Chandanpur will be completed by March while a deadline of December, 2014 has been set for construction of a bridge over Kanchinala. A flyover will also be constructed where NH 203 and NH 5 meet. T h e NH 203 project is b e i n g i m p l e - mented by National Highways Authority of India at an estimated cost of Rs. 193.75 crore. The project includes construction and expansion of the road covering a distance of 67.25 km with four by-passes, realignment on 6.49-km stretch and widening of existing carriage way for 27.38 km. The stretch of 67.25 km has three major bridges, 17 minor ones and 52 culverts.


THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS